Fall colors in national forests: USFS launches new fall colors website

Fall colors are coming in across the country now, and the USFS wants travelers to be able to see the best of their local season. To this end, on September 20 the forest service announced a newly expanded leaf-peeping website to help with trip planning. This is a cooperative venture with rural communities, since many rely on fall tourism dollars to get them through the winter. Dead leaves, it seems, it big industry.

Fall color guides from forestry service helps boondockers figure out colorful routes

Individual areas of the United States Forest Service also have fall color guides. For example, the Rocky Mountains district w ill be updating weekly, and notes that the colder the area, the earlier leaves will fall. The region has a separate page for the states it serves: Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska.

According to the USFS, New England sees an extra $8 bn. in income at hotels, attractions and restaurants. The new leaf-peeping website is decorated in fall colors, and provides information on weather, travel conditions and forest-by-forest maps. You can check out updates on the state of the leaves, submit your own images, and follow links to leaf-related tourism websites. Extras include freebies for kids, such as coloring pages, leaf crafts and a tree database.

USFS resources for 2011 leaf-peeping season

Last but not least, leaf-peepers can call 1-800-354-4595 to hear reports on the fall colors hotline. If you're a boondocker winding your way south for the winter, why not check out the website and see if you can't get in a few leaf-peeping adventures along the way?

Fall colors resources:

• USFS fall colors website
• Southwestern region fall colors website
• Rocky Mountain region fall colors website
• Intermountain region fall colors website
• Southern region fall colors website
• Eastern region fall colors website
• USFS regions with no individual pages: Alaska, Northern, Pacific Northwest, Pacific southwest (California)
• Why do leaves change color?

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